How to Smoke a Ham in a Bradley Smoker

Bradley smokers utilize a cold smoking technique to smoke meats over a period of hours, and even days. Cold smoking is a somewhat misleading name, since the meat is smoked not "cold" but at significantly cooler temperatures (typically below 100 Fahrenheit) than traditional methods of smoking, such as barbecuing babyback ribs. You don't have to cure a ham before smoking. Just follow these steps to cold-smoke a ham in your Bradley before cooking it into a succulent dinner.

Things You'll Need

Bradley smoker

Fresh, uncured ham

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Prepare the Bradley for smoking by adding and heating Bradley bisquettes, which are the company's special type of wood coal for use in its line of cold smokers. Pour the bisquettes into the smoking chamber and light them.

Bring the smoker up to a temperature of about 100 F and place the fresh ham in the smoking chamber.

Cold-smoke the ham for about half the length of time as you would normally cook it, as it will be baked later. For example, if you bake the ham for 4 hours when preparing it for dinner, smoke the ham in the Bradley for about 2 hours at 100 F to achieve the flavor you desire.

Cool and refrigerate the smoked ham until you are ready to bake it. Fresh, uncured smoked hams should be baked within 2 days of smoking in the Bradley. Cured hams can be smoked and refrigerated for three to five days before baking, or frozen for up to a month before baking.